Has anyone used auxiliary cartridges to fire 32 acp or 32mag in 308 rifles?

Glamdring · April 16, 2001, 06:58 AM

Read about these in current issue of Rifle.

This company makes them http://www.mcn.net/~alex/

Was thinking that using the 32 acp in my scout rifle would give me ~22rf performance at close range.

And I like Seyfried's idea of using a 32 mag version in his 300 mag.

Was wondering if anyone has used these. Does the nominal difference .308" vs .311" matter at all for the close range shooting one would use these for?

muzzletalk · April 16, 2001, 11:30 AM

interesting concept. I'm not sure if I like the idea though.

Marko · April 16, 2001, 11:57 AM

http://www.eabco.com/sale8.html
Hope this helps.
Do you reload? If so, you could probably load a .308 down to 32 acp/mag levels and not need the adapter. Those adapters seem to be a one shot at a time affair.

DFBonnett · April 16, 2001, 12:20 PM

Used an adapter in .32 to 30-06 out of my Garand. Not very accurate. Got it from http://www.mcace.com/.

Glamdring · April 16, 2001, 07:13 PM

The Alex ones for the 308/30-06/300/etc you simply put 32 acp or 32 mag into the aux cartridge then put the plug in behind the pistol cartridge. With this design the pistol cartridge headspaces like normal rifle cartridge. The Alex design cycles like a normal cartridge [well I am not sure if it would feed from mag because of bullet profile you might need to single load it]. But it would extract from the chamber like normal fired shell. Then you just push the empty pistol cartridge out of the aux cartridge with a fresh cartridge.

Troy · April 16, 2001, 08:08 PM

32ACP fired (with adapter) in a #4 Enfield was amazingly quiet...

-Troy

labgrade · April 16, 2001, 08:54 PM

Never used an adapter in anything (except a "funny thing" we "got" (read had) to use in the M16 while in the USAF

Pretty amazing results may be had by using a parent cartridge/case with reduced loads. Not be confused with possible KB-types usually associated with "reduced loadings" in rifles.

Still haven't gotten around to doing a table for an article from American Rifleman (circa '87 or so) .... some nifty stuff = cheap, quiet, accurate .... some day "soon" ....

Glamdring · April 17, 2001, 08:17 AM

Troy: do you recall what type of adapter you used? And what kind of accuracy?

I thought they would be very quiet [the 32 acp]. Also thought that the 32 mag case might work well for a Whisper, like JD Jones 300 Whisper, type loading with 180 to 240 grain bullet.

I am going to order one of the Alex 32 ACP Aux cartridges to try in my Scout Rifle on tree rats. The intersting thing about my Steyr Scout is that with the double detent mag I could have the mag in the lower position loaded with regular 308 ammo and single load varmint/small game loads with the aux cartridge.

Might also not that an Alex cartridge for a 35 Whelen/350 Rem mag or 358 Norma could be made to shoot 38 special or 357 mag real easily. Think Cooper might even like that idea?

Consider this, a pseudo Scout in 350 Rem or Rem Model 7 in 350 Rem [from Rem's custom shop] with two or three Alex Aux cartridges in 357 mag plus a Taurus Ti Tracker in 357 mag.
With the 358 Norma you would have 375 H&H level performance with solids 300-310 FMJ's @ 2500-2600 and 225 or 250 grain Swifts for normal big game. And 357's with the Aux cartridge for small game/varmints.

Might be able to use a 9mm Aux cartridge in the 358 rifles also...don't know how accurate that would be though?

April 16, 2001, 11:57 AM	#3
Marko Member Join Date: January 4, 2001 Posts: 16	Is this what you are refering to? http://www.eabco.com/sale8.html Hope this helps. Do you reload? If so, you could probably load a .308 down to 32 acp/mag levels and not need the adapter. Those adapters seem to be a one shot at a time affair.

April 16, 2001, 06:58 AM	#1
Glamdring Senior Member Join Date: April 23, 2000 Location: MN Posts: 1,388	Read about these in current issue of Rifle. This company makes them http://www.mcn.net/~alex/ Was thinking that using the 32 acp in my scout rifle would give me ~22rf performance at close range. And I like Seyfried's idea of using a 32 mag version in his 300 mag. Was wondering if anyone has used these. Does the nominal difference .308" vs .311" matter at all for the close range shooting one would use these for?

April 16, 2001, 11:30 AM	#2
muzzletalk Member Join Date: January 3, 2001 Posts: 85	interesting concept. I'm not sure if I like the idea though.

April 16, 2001, 12:20 PM	#4
DFBonnett Junior member Join Date: November 1, 1998 Posts: 109	Used an adapter in .32 to 30-06 out of my Garand. Not very accurate. Got it from http://www.mcace.com/.

April 16, 2001, 07:13 PM	#5
Glamdring Senior Member Join Date: April 23, 2000 Location: MN Posts: 1,388	The Alex ones for the 308/30-06/300/etc you simply put 32 acp or 32 mag into the aux cartridge then put the plug in behind the pistol cartridge. With this design the pistol cartridge headspaces like normal rifle cartridge. The Alex design cycles like a normal cartridge [well I am not sure if it would feed from mag because of bullet profile you might need to single load it]. But it would extract from the chamber like normal fired shell. Then you just push the empty pistol cartridge out of the aux cartridge with a fresh cartridge.

April 16, 2001, 08:08 PM	#6
Troy Member Join Date: January 29, 2000 Posts: 96	32ACP fired (with adapter) in a #4 Enfield was amazingly quiet... -Troy

April 16, 2001, 08:54 PM	#7
labgrade Member In Memoriam Join Date: November 29, 1999 Location: west of a small town, CO Posts: 4,346	Never used an adapter in anything (except a "funny thing" we "got" (read had) to use in the M16 while in the USAF Pretty amazing results may be had by using a parent cartridge/case with reduced loads. Not be confused with possible KB-types usually associated with "reduced loadings" in rifles. Still haven't gotten around to doing a table for an article from American Rifleman (circa '87 or so) .... some nifty stuff = cheap, quiet, accurate .... some day "soon" ....

April 17, 2001, 08:17 AM	#8
Glamdring Senior Member Join Date: April 23, 2000 Location: MN Posts: 1,388	Troy: do you recall what type of adapter you used? And what kind of accuracy? I thought they would be very quiet [the 32 acp]. Also thought that the 32 mag case might work well for a Whisper, like JD Jones 300 Whisper, type loading with 180 to 240 grain bullet. I am going to order one of the Alex 32 ACP Aux cartridges to try in my Scout Rifle on tree rats. The intersting thing about my Steyr Scout is that with the double detent mag I could have the mag in the lower position loaded with regular 308 ammo and single load varmint/small game loads with the aux cartridge. Might also not that an Alex cartridge for a 35 Whelen/350 Rem mag or 358 Norma could be made to shoot 38 special or 357 mag real easily. Think Cooper might even like that idea? Consider this, a pseudo Scout in 350 Rem or Rem Model 7 in 350 Rem [from Rem's custom shop] with two or three Alex Aux cartridges in 357 mag plus a Taurus Ti Tracker in 357 mag. With the 358 Norma you would have 375 H&H level performance with solids 300-310 FMJ's @ 2500-2600 and 225 or 250 grain Swifts for normal big game. And 357's with the Aux cartridge for small game/varmints. Might be able to use a 9mm Aux cartridge in the 358 rifles also...don't know how accurate that would be though?